


Countdown...

by WillJ



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Actions have consequence, Author does not like Wanda, Civil War Team Iron Man, Clint Barton & Steve Rogers Friendship, Gen, Major character death - Freeform, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), The Author Regrets Nothing, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, What Have I Done, You need to leave well enough alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 10:23:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11530254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillJ/pseuds/WillJ
Summary: The rogue Avengers want to talk to Tony...Steve just wants to talk.





	Countdown...

**Author's Note:**

> Can be pre-slash if you squint really hard (squint, damn your eyes!)
> 
> This has NOT been beta'd (so if anyone would like to...?)

10….  
Tony’s hands slowed then stilled. There was blank, dazed look in his eyes. Vaguely he could here soft weeping, but his eyes never shifted.

9…  
Steve looked on, his eyes holding a desperate calm. “Why are you stopping?” In his question was a implicit demand for Stark to do something, anything.

8…  
Gather around them, the rogue Avengers knelt or paced, according to their nature; worry and fear uppermost in their eyes. 

Life had not been…kind to them in the aftermath of the so-called Civil War. 

They had done everything right, rejected the Accords and followed Captain America rather than become a leashed dog for the UN agendas…stuck up for the ‘little guy’. But as days turned into weeks, then months--as voices around the world voiced their protest against Captain America—their triumph turned to ashes in their mouths. 

The world believed they were…wrong. 

 

7…  
They had tried to show the world, tried to fulfill their mission of being heroes, but it all blew up in their faces; they were chased from the scene by Tony’s new team of supers. It took days to shake off their pursuers before they felt it safe to return to Wakanda…where T’Challa was waiting with a full accompaniment of Dora Mojae…and Bucky. 

Wakanda was now closed to them. 

6…  
All they had wanted to do was talk…just talk to Tony, put things to right. They just wanted to come home. Maybe if they had talked before, things wouldn’t have gone so wrong. But they could talk now.  
Unfortunately, no one counted on Rhodey, or the fact that Tony had been babysitting the youngest Barton. 

 

5…  
The talking turned out to be more shout-y than talk-y, conducted in low-voice whispers to avoid upsetting the youngest Barton, who was looking at them with troubled, curious eyes. It got very much with the loud shout-y when Clint realized HIS family were living under Tony’s roof. Steve felt despair that he would ever get them back on the right track of talking then listening to one another.

4…  
It took a while to calm everyone down—though Stark and Rhodey were petty enough to keep sniping at the others—but considering the outsize ego Stark wore with such panache, that part wasn’t surprising so he was able to ignore it.

3…  
The first inkling Tony knew that something had gone horribly wrong with Steve’s idiotic kidnapping plan had gone awry was a wooden voice saying, “Ready to comply.” He froze, the blood freezing in his veins. As a result, he had been slow to respond. Then the abandoned warehouse descended into chaos as everyone sought cover from the Winter Soldier.

2…  
Then the chaos had abruptly muted at a loud retort, the sound striking terror in the hearts and mind of the occupants, then came Nate’s scream of confusion and terror. Footsteps, calm and methodical seemed to echo in the cavernous building. Then came another bang…and Nate was silent. 

1…  
Now Tony stared down the barrel of the gun. His thoughts had achieved crystal clarity. It was almost like seeing into the future. He knew Pepper was going to be soooo pissed. 

He saw the look on Wanda’s face, the hate in her eyes. His eyes lowered back to where Rhodey lay, face down across the youngest Barton, using his own body as a fleshy shield for the child. Nate's face was slack, and so very, very innocent. “Always trying to be a hero,” he said softly, his voice gruff.

0…  
Bang! The sound was loud, the room froze in disbelief. Steve swung around, his eyes wide with horror at the spreading red stain on Tony’s chest…then at the redness that engulfed Clint’s eyes. 

“He killed my son…” Clint said, his voice empty in answer to Steve, Lang and Nat’s horrified expressions. Then like it was nothing, he dropped the gun and walked away.

Steve uncomprehendingly blankly at the bodies and wondered how his good intentions could suddenly twist on him.

"I just wanted to talk..." he whispered, his voice bewildered.

**Author's Note:**

> My first foray into Post-Civil War


End file.
